42nd Edition, Summer 2011

It‟s a hack‟s life

Simon Boughey Simon Boughey is a Cambridge graduate who has chosen in spite of (perhaps be- cause of) a childhood stammer to become a freelance financial journalist, presenta- tion coach and actor. He has worked in New York and now in London on a number of leading publications, such as the Financial News, Euromoney, and International Financing Review. He also writes for Icap, the City broker. We are very grateful to Grant Pearson Brown Simon for writing an article about what journalists are trying to achieve; a rare and Consulting Ltd. valuable glimpse of the „other side‟ in media interviews.

The Presentation & Business Development Journalists are often sadly misunder- Specialists stood. Those who pose as fake sheikhs for the purpose of entrap- Advice squeezed ment, those who tap telephones of straight from the the beautiful, and those who rig up experts concealed cameras to record deli- ciously bizarre amatory entertainment give us a bad name. The vast bulk of reporters working in the news indus- try don‟t work for tabloids and aren‟t like that.

At the most fundamental level, when journalists contact an institution or person, they are looking for simple information. They have jobs to do, white space to fill before they go home, but they often don‟t know all In this edition: the facts or even half the facts. There

It’s a hack’s life is a lot of often quite tedious legwork to be the “who, what, when, where and why” format By Simon Boughey done in tying down the relevant facts about a of basic reporting. These are the “Five Ws” that Journalists are often sadly misunderstood—an story. To be sure, they will often have a par- have to be answered. These details should be insider’s view ticular angle with which they are approaching put at the top of a story, and then it builds a story, but this won‟t work unless the facts with comments from concerned individuals. What’s in a face? Quite a lot actually.. By Tim Farish add up. An insight into Eckman’s This is why journalists get annoyed, and then FACS system By the same token, journalists are also looking suspicious, when the most basic and seem- To Russia with a mission for confirmation or verification of what they ingly innocuous information is denied. It re- By Alastair Grant have been told by someone else. If, for exam- tards the development of a story, means we There are opportunities to be made if you go beyond ple, a comment has been passed about an in- can‟t go to the pub yet, and makes us far less the stereotype dividual or firm then the story looks a great inclined to look kindly upon the withholder of

Taking chunks out of deal less convincing if that individual or firm information. We might also feel that if a pub- complexity has not had the chance to reply. This is how a licly owned company, for example, denies the By Ewan Pearson story builds up. Every journalist is told (or most basic information about its financial deal- Audiences need ‘chew time’ should be) from the earliest days on the job ings (which other similar publicly owned firms Continued on page 2 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

It‟s a hack‟s life...continued

fess up willingly), then we have a responsibility robust denial, the subject might confess to to dig up the facts and not be stonewalled. some other misdemeanour by accident. For example, “Is it true that you are very unhappy Moreover, it seems to journalists that the with the role performed by (JP Magan) in this simple and most pressing responsibility of the deal?” Answer: “No, not at all. That is com- ever-burgeoning public relations industry is to pletely untrue. It is (Levitt Brothers) that messed do precisely that: to stonewall. To deny the it up.” most basic information in a particularly earnest and humourless manner. Public relations offi- Finally, any interview subject should be aware cials are the people that journalists believe are of the rules of on the record and off the record. the real practitioners of the black arts. Unless an interviewee says this at the top of a phone conversation, it is assumed to be on the Even when the PR people do allow access to a record and any comments made can be used senior person at the firm or bank, the officious and attributed. If the interview is specifically off or nervous ones, can seek to control the the record, or “on background”, then the process by, for example, disallowing questions comments provided cannot be attributed. not covered by the previously arranged brief. Often an entire conversation will be on back- But journalists don‟t like sticking to a script and ground, but then the journalist may use quotes ideas may be stimulated in the course of the only if checked by the public relations official interview. and/or the interviewee before publication. These details should be arranged in advance. In this regard, it‟s worth pointing out that, gen- erally journalists are not seeking to make some- However dishonourable, and often on a Babylo- one‟s life a misery and are not, generally, seek- nian scale, journalists might be in their private ing to score points. It would be naïve, of lives, I have never known one abuse this Advice squeezed course, to assume that journalists are not also system. At the end of the day, they want to straight from the interested in bad news more than good news. build relationships that can be exploited in experts Conflict and controversy sell. Who is not more the future, and it is not in their interest to be fascinated by a story about a devastating dishonest. tsunami than a fireman rescuing a lost kitten?

Journalists love anything that suggests that

events in a business or government have not turned out as they were intended, and that, consequently, people are at each other‟s throats. Such stories are more ex- citing to write and more fun to read. In my experience as a financial journalist, one of the best stories I ever wrote was about a treasurer of a European firm who man- aged to shoot his assistant treasurer on a hunting expedition to the Black Forest. This sub-Sherlock Holmes tale was ever so much more interesting than the latest sterling denominated bond issue.

To get to the controversy, journalists might sometimes ask a question to which they know the answer hoping that the interviewee will reveal more than he or she intends in responding. In making a

2 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

What‟s in a face? Quite a lot actually...

In 1992, shortly after Bill Clinton entered the White House as the new President of United States, his office received a phone call. It was answered by his recently appointed Head of Communications.

„Please trust me, I am calling with the best of These are a series of subtle facial gestures that intentions but I‟m worried for the President‟ communicate emotion through the different the voice on the other end of the line said with actions of facial muscle groups. These groups a great deal of concern. „Bill Clinton‟s got this each produce a different emotion and can be Tim Farish way of rolling his eyes along with a certain understood in practically every culture in the expression and what it conveys is “I‟m a bad world. To test the universality of his theories, boy”. I don‟t think it‟s a good thing and I could he went to Papua New Guinea in 1967, and teach him how not to do that in two to three spent time with a tribe who had never seen hours. The thing is his facial gestures give the other human beings from outside their tribe, impression that he‟s like a kid who has his or even their own faces in a mirror. When his hands in a cookie jar. I‟m telling you, this guy theories stood up during 12 months of testing is going to do something and he‟s going to get in this remote village, he knew he was onto found out‟. Understandably, the new Head of something groundbreaking. Communications quickly put the phone down and dismissed the caller as another crackpot. He discovered that there are 6 key emotions These people unfortunately do call and get that can be recognised in the face (see through the Whitehouse switchboard from time pictures) which are recognised universally. to time, he reminded himself. Except that the person on the other end of the line was far from being your standard weirdo. Strange maybe, unusual certainly but no crack- pot. In fact, the person dialling the White Advice squeezed House was Professor Paul Eckman, one of the straight from the world‟s leading facial experts, and what he had experts seen in a recent television interview of the new President had caused him great concern. He had watched the same clip, over and over again just to be sure, and then he‟d been compelled to get on the phone. What he‟d seen had convinced him that the Happiness can be recognised by a wide smile new President was capable of lying and that he and a lighting up or activation of the eyes. The thought he could get away with it. He knew the key thing for a genuine smile is that both top signs, as he had been researching facial and bottom parts of the face are working. expressions for most of his life, and this time A „fake‟ smile, for example, typically has the he was sure. However, his advice fell on deaf mouth and lips moving while the eyes remain ears, until a few years later when someone static. named Monica Lewinsky came along. Paul Eckman is not only a leading authority on facial expressions but also on how people lie. He has pioneered FACS, or Facial Action Cod- ing System, which is now universally recog- nised. It‟s also used by the FBI and Interpol. There‟s a series on Fox Television in the USA called „Lie to Me‟ based on Eckman‟s character and his insights and understanding into the mechanics of the face and emotions. Professor Eckman has spent most of his life Disgust can be recognised by a wrinkling of studying the „microexpressions‟ of the face. the nose and a frowning action while the eyes

3 Continued on page 4 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

What‟s in a face?... continued

narrow. Historically, this emotion derived from Contempt (below) is characterised by a narrow- dragging something bad smelling into the cave ing of the eyes and a stretching of the mouth and it is easy to see why! to one side. Of all the emotions that Eckman mapped this was perhaps the most curious. It is the single-most important factor in relation- ships breaking down as it is the only emotion that is strictly „hierarchical‟ or when someone is deliberately looking down negatively on someone else.

Anger can be recognised by furrowed brows, activation of the corrugator (forehead) muscles and a tightening of the lip muscles around the mouth.

Eckman‟s FACS system is fascinating as it has proved that the display of emotion can also start in the face. It also has huge implications for how we read audiences as we can gain Advice squeezed extraordinary insight into the messages we straight from the send each other when we look at another‟s face experts or into their eyes.

Sadness is recognised by a slight drooping of For presenters, this insight is invaluable in the face, with the mouth downturned and helping to gauge the success of how we are slightly to one side. The eyebrows also form a perceived. It allows the presenter to course- „house roof‟ shape. correct and ask appropriate questions to inter- act with the audience when they recognise the signals that are being transmitted.

In the next edition, we will go into more detail on this fascinating system along with advice on how to improve your facial repertory. Until then, enjoy looking out for the signals when you next speak to an audience!

Fear is characterised by a raising of the eyebrows, a widening of the eyes to show the whites around the pupils, a flaring of the nostrils and and lowering of the mouth and jaw.

4 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

To Russia with a mission

The art of persuasion is part of the advice we give to our clients. Often this includes advice on working with different cultures. As I lived in the Yemen for a year, and Sin- gapore and the USA for a further four, the relationship between culture and persua- sion has always been one of fascination to me.

For two weeks over Easter, accompanied by a ther, taking the sedate Siberian Express for friend, I visited Russia for the first time which five days from Vladivostok to the town of gave me a chance to explore this relationship Perm. Alastair Grant further. It was strictly not business, but a mission to follow in the footsteps of my paternal grandfather.

In 1919 he was asked to volunteer to support the White Russians in their struggle to defeat the Bolsheviks (the Reds). As we know they failed, but Grandfather did rather well: He was a Royal Marines captain, aged 24, in charge of a detachment of marines in HMS Kent based in Vladivostok. The Trans-Siberian train could take a huge 7 ton gun. On the Kama River, they loaded this gun and others on to river craft and fought a series of battles. Forced to retreat, to Vladivostok, and after avoiding the threat of typhus and cholera, he brought them all back Advice squeezed unscathed. straight from the We travelled the same route as my grandfa- I began with preconceived ideas - typical experts stereotypes of Russians being a mix of oligarchs, mafia and vodka-drinking bores who die on average at about the age of 58. But we met many Russians who helped us.

Behind the stereotypes we found something dif- ferent: the Russian pro- fessional classes. They are a bit like us Brits; a bit reserved, a bit cau- tious but polite. But then, as rapport and trust are built they emerge as pleasant and kind people. Most are poorly paid and have a clear idea that

5 Continued on page 6 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

To Russia with a mission...continued

their Soviet past really has held them back. One described how, when she was a teenager, her family shared a cramped apart- ment with two other families. Another said those days were simpler, friendships were of much greater value in achieving happiness, they had very few drugs problems and were shielded from many of the other imported evils from the West.

It is easy to base opinions on well-known The Trans-Siberian Express... Russian leaders over the past decades – most ruthless and unpopular. However, the same experienced their help in this respect a number society also produced courageous individuals of times. such as Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Sakharov. A culture that produced Chekov, Rachmaninov,  Families mean much to them. They respect Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy paints a the old more than we do. most different picture from the stereotype. So based on a rather small profile of Russians  They enjoy conversation. and experiences, what have I learned that would be good advice to pass on?  They are most aware of the huge advances Advice squeezed made by China and India. So they are keen to  Russians seem to appreciate even the most straight from the get inward investment and share some of the elementary efforts to say some words in experts bandwagon effect. Russian. Good morning or "doh-brah-eh- oo- trah" is met with a smile. Even better if you can read the Cyrillic characters. They live in the This means to me that Russia is open for busi- knowledge that despite their prowess in World ness. We were enthusiastically taken off to a War Two, and their ability to beat the Ameri- giant area of special economic opportunity by cans into space, they have fallen well behind the Deputy Trade Minister for Tatarstan. It the West in all manner of ways. They are too seemed to occupy at least 25 square miles. If well aware as there is open access to media you are prepared to make an effort on relation- channels of all sorts. ships and not appear „Western Arrogant‟ then

there are many opportunities to be persuasive  Recognising their cultural and educational in Russia today. status as that of equals is a good way to estab- lish rapport and build trust.

 Avoid any sense of superiority. They are proud people.

 I think they are not so impressed by money as they place higher value on relationships.

 There seems to be plenty of bureaucracy but they dislike it as much as we do. So be willing to ask their help in overcoming it. We

6 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

Taking chunks out of complexity

I don‟t know about you, but I think audiences like to have time to think about what a presenter says whilst they‟re presenting. This is particularly important when the pre- senter gets to the crucial bit, but I find that this is also the time where the presenters typically go quickly, often combined with a rise in complexity.

their mother tongue, the chunks can be bigger, The combination of faster and more complex maybe 3-4 sentences. Even so, the audience together send audiences into a complete will vary in knowledge from most to least in- tailspin. Ewan Pearson formed, limiting chunk size. I think there are actually three elements that interact here: pace, complexity and jargonistic But that‟s not everything. These chunks have technical terms. Together they kill an audi- pauses between them, but how big should the ence‟s attention. Let‟s look at each in turn: pauses be? That‟s not so clear, but I have experimented and conclude that 1.5 – 3 Pace: Our Associate in Geneva, Dr Branka Zei, seconds is about right. has a lovely technical term for one element of pace, “chunking”. This is apparently the correct scientific word for “the separation of content The variance is for a very interesting reason: into meaningful sense groups”. Yes, I know, A while ago we had a visit from Edward de

Advice squeezed straight from the experts

the definition is no more helpful than the term Bono, he of „Lateral Thinking‟ and „The Six it defines. A definition is not an explanation. If Thinking Hats‟ fame. He probably knows as we dissect Branka‟s definition, it suggests that much about how we all think as anyone. We every piece of information that constitutes a set discussed a concept called „thinking loops‟. of words that makes sense should be separated These are the loops of thought that listeners by pauses. The size of a sense group (in num- like to go round inside their heads, between ber of words) is often less than a sentence, and sense groups. I like to call it „chew time‟. De is determined by (a) any language translation, Bono said that bright people can think much and (b) the level of sophistication of the lis- quicker than the less bright, and that more tener. So for someone whose first language is knowledgeable people created much bigger say Chinese or Japanese, they need smaller thinking loops to travel round. Surprisingly the chunks when you present in English, whereas if net effect was that brighter/knowledgeable you are presenting on quantum physics to a people needed MUCH longer chew time. group of PhDs in the same discipline and in

7 Continued on page 8 42nd Edition, Summer 2011

Taking chunks out of complexity....continued

staircase but a new staircase for each topic. Think about it, if you know very little about a There cannot be any gaps in the logic steps, subject, you take what‟s said with little process- although this is common as presenters assume ing, but if you know lots, you will think lots about it, relating the chunk of content to what their audience (like them) can jump them; audi- you know already, as well as being able to ences can‟t so instead fall back down my construct original thought, all of which takes at metaphorical stairs. There cannot be any accel- least of cup of tea (or glass of good Islay malt eration, which I notice often accompanies the whisky) to think through properly. steepest parts of the climb. That‟s just showing off, but again the audience falls back. But presenters don‟t give you that long, they carry on at the same or faster pace, so the chew Jargon: The sad thing is that many presenters time is either afterwards, or more likely just rarely know when they‟re using it. For them it‟s doesn‟t happen at all. In rehearsals, I am often their lingua franca, their coffee machine chat. It stopping presenters at these points to ask should really be minimal, explained or avoided them to go back over this crucial content again, completely. Have you ever heard anyone trying and more slowly, as I really want to think about to explain (I don‟t mean define) what a share it. In a large or formal audiences though this option is, or a quango, a quark or quant invest- back flip rarely happens. ment? Their attempts make for pretty measly consumption, yet those that can do this well Complexity: Getting complexity right has al- score great credit with all audience members ways been a concern for presenters, many of from experts to generalists. The use of partly- whom have been on the receiving end of pres- known acronyms is a serious worry here. Our Services entations that are far too complex. But when Grant Pearson Brown Consulting Ltd is a respected adviser based they themselves present they worry that their Here‟s the answer to the holy grail of complex- in London and Oslo. We enhance own presentations are not sophisticated the performance of businesses, ity: to be able to explain complex concepts helping clients to excel in the enough, that they may be dumbing down, or simply, clearly and concisely to an audience use of the spoken and written that they lack enough new information. Sure, word, improving the so that they all „got it‟. Your turn to try some performance of individuals and no presenter should be patronising, or be chunking and give „em some chew time. teams. Over the long term our boring by only covering known stuff, but that work improves the way a firm does not excuse the ascent to the stratospheric does business. that some presenters strive for. It‟s quite the We coach and advise individuals to perform at their best in the wrong approach. A good toughest situations including: presentation satisfies the Presentations, New Business Pitches, Business Development, hunger of the most igno- Negotiating, Media Interviews, rant, the most expert, and Telephone Calls and Document Writing. most others in between. Now, there‟s a holy grail We also produce scientific voice and visual analysis reports, then challenge I like! provide voice coaching and non-verbal communications advice. Entertainment is not the

Our clients‟ needs are the only answer, although presenta- focus of our work; we listen to tions should in the main them and closely tailor our response to deliver first class be fun to present and fun coaching and advice. In support to receive. No, the answer of this we selectively pursue new ideas and approaches, is to manage complexity, continually hone our advice and using time to build it step create tools such as Voice, Visual and Content Analysis, Prospect by step, like climbing a Relationship Management (PRM) and the Information Iceberg.

London office Oslo office 7 John Street 9th Floor, Klingenberggaten 5 London, WC1N 2ES Box 1413, Vika N-0115, Oslo 0161 Tel: +44(0)20 7831 1000 Tel: +47 93 06 14 95 Website: www.gpb.eu Website: www.gpbuk.no

Email: [email protected] 8